Fusion
by Maille Kohoano
Summary: Max is about to find out that Manticore wasn't the only human experimental facility


* * *

**Freak Nation**

**Characters:  
**  
_Max_: X-5 (452) transgenic soldier of Manticore  
  
_Logan Cale_: Max's on again, off again boyfriend; journalistic informant "Eyes Only"

_Original Cindy_: Max's homosexual friend; fellow Jam Pony Messenger

_Alec_: X-5 (494) "twin of X-5 (493), Ben, Max' s "brother"

_Joshua:_ transgenic "man-dog" Sketchy: Fellow Employee at JPM Normal: Max's boss at JPM

_Eric:_ trans genic from London

_Ames White_: member of an elite-breeding cult that is out to destroy all Manticore creations

**Setting**: Seattle, Washington, 2020

**Summary:** "They designed her to be the perfect soldier, a human weapon. Then she escaped. In a future, not far from now, in a broken world, she is haunted by her past. She cannot run. She must fight to discover her destiny." Max is now a part of the "outsiders" since the people of Seattle have found out that there are human looking transgenics. She continues to fight the forces against her, but she soon discovers a stranger in the city. He is a man dressed very formally; whose face appears extremely droopy one side. She takes the man to Terminal City, and finds out that Manticore still exists in England. For those who have never seen the show, here ya go!

**Glossary**:

_Manticore_: Factory where Max and all other trangenics were engineered, twinned, bred, trained, and studied

_Transgenic_: Genetically engineered humans made specifically for soldiers. Each type (x-5, x-6, etc) was made for a certain type of fighting. Some could withstand artic temperatures, other aquatics, the desert, and so forth and so on. The "x" series was made to carry out missions among normal humans.

_Copulation:_ basically being bred with another human, in order to procreate Breeding Partner: duh! Sexual partner And now:

**Background Info**: In the year of 2009, a group of twelve transgenic kids escaped from Manticore. They spent all their lives apart, the risk of being found greater if they were not. In season one of Dark Angel (written by James Cameron), Max's story is related through her point of view. She is set to fight Lydecker, the head administrator at Manticore, until the two of them are forced to join together to defeat a new, shared enemy.  
In season two Lydecker leads Logan to Max, who he believes is dead, and she breaks into Manticore and releases all of the transgenics, trans humans and other Manticore creations, in order to save their lives. Max now has a new rival by the name of Ames White.  
  
** "Oh say can you see...the transgenic banner?"**  
  
Max gazed up at Joshua's flag swirling in the air on the rooftop overlooking Terminal City, a feeling of pride stirring through her. They did it; they escaped the situation with virtually no one getting hurt (well at least not any of them). She smiled as her eyes fell to the sight beside her thigh: black leather and white latex joined together in a simple expression of love. She felt her heart give a little jump of sadness and her smile faded as she realized that this was the only way that she and Logan were going to have any type of physical contact. She glanced over at him. His was still staring at the red, black and white flag, blowing back and forth in the late day wind. His glasses were slightly fogged, probably because of the air, and he had this goofy sort of grin on his face. Then as if sensing her eyes on him, Logan turned to look at Max. "Beautiful huh?" he said, squeezing her hand. "Yeah." She bit her lip. He was so...she didn't know how she was going to continue not kissing him. Especially when every nerve in her body was on fire with the memory of how sweet his lips felt. She felt herself lean in instinctively and then cursed herself for doing it. Uh uh, trannie girl, you know the consequences of that. And then who will you kiss? Alec? Max shivered at the thought of having any kind of intimate contact with Alec. She looked away from Logan and removed her hand from his. "Gotta blaze." She said "Later." She leapt off of the building and landed on her feet, in a squat. She stood and glanced up at the building. Damn it Manticore. I can't believe you always ruin my life.

* * *

He ran as the group of angry men chased after him, carrying weapons of all sorts. He shivered and glanced back then sped up as that seemed to make the men run even faster. They weren't very close to him now, but they were getting there. He saw an alley up ahead and ran into it hiding behind one of the metal garbage bins. He held his breath and listened for any type of noises. None. Then as he was standing, he felt a movement on his left. "They're not gonna leave until they know that you're dead." A female voice said. The man looked down to see a very attractive young girl holding onto his sleeve. He knelt down and listened as she told him what to do.  
"Ok, so you're Manticore right? All you have to do is come with me. I'll get you to Terminal City and Mole and the others will take care of you."  
H stared at her blankly.  
"Manticore? Wait. I don't think-"  
"Shh." The girl said, tilting her head like a cat, listening. " Do you hear that?"  
"Yes, but I'm still not sure you-"  
"Shh!" she said frantically. " They're coming. Do you wanna die tonight?"  
"No. But I'm not-"  
"Shh!!" she drew her eyebrows together angrily.  
The man wasn't too happy about it, but he obeyed and fumed silently. A few seconds later, he heard the voices of the men who had been chasing after him.  
"Come out, come out, wherever you are."  
"Here trannie, trannie, trannie." "You can run but you can't hide." He moved to get up and run, but the girl had a death grip on his arm. "Uh uh. I don't think you want to do that." The man frowned, angry that he was being bossed around by this... this... unstable young woman, but he obeyed once again. He wasn't at all sure he could trust her, any more than the guys out there, but so far, she appeared harmless. He would rather hide behind garbage bins than try his luck with those men.

* * *

"Fe' nos tol." "Fe'nos tol." Ames said as he watched Moorehead walk away. He sighed. He knew what she had said was true, but he was getting tired of it always having to be him that had to deal with those trangenetic freaks. That certainly hadn't changed since his last encounter with 452. She might be a hot little number, but she was as annoying and bitchy as they came. He couldn't wait until the elders arrived. They would know how to get rid of her. They had the wisdom of a thousand wise men and the strength of an army that large. They only "aged" in hair color, as it was a perfect white hue, totally in contrast with their otherwise youthful appearance. Ames sighed again as his cell phone rang. It was the Bureau. Damn. Two major organizations constantly on his ass. Then he smiled as he listened to the call. "Yes," he answered." Be there in twenty."

* * *

"So when exactly will we be able to leave here?" the man asked. He was furious at this dark haired girl for making him hide. "Right about now!" she yelled and leapt from behind the garbage bins. In a blur of arms and legs, she fought the three guys and in less than ten minutes they all lay unconscious on the ground. "Let's go. " she said to him. And when he hesitated she yelled, "Now!" which made him jump into action. "You know, I really don't appreciate being bossed around." he said. "Yeah, yeah. So, you got a name?" "After all this you expect-" "I could give you a name. One I guarantee you will not like." "Oh, fine. Eric, it's Eric." "Great Eric, you and me are going to Terminal City."

* * *

"They designed her to be the perfect soldier, a human weapon. Then she escaped. In a future, not far from now, in a broken world, she is haunted by her past. She cannot run. She must fight to discover her destiny."

* * *

Logan Cale removed his glasses, typed in his password, the data, and pressed enter. "This is a Streaming Freedom video bulletin. The hack will last for exactly sixty seconds. It cannot be stopped, it cannot be traced. It is the only is the free voice left in the city. Ames White and several other member of the FBI are trying to destroy the Manticore experiments. This cannot be allowed. You cannot trust the same people who have lied to you for eleven years, of all a sudden to protect you from the very things they helped to produce. These Manticore escapees are not dangerous. They are in fact, more frightened of you than you are of them. Now you have to decide whether you want to continue to be lied to, or whether you want to make your own decisions and see how the transgenics truly are. This has been a Streaming Freedom video bulletin. Peace. Out."  
Logan turned off the computer and other equipment. He replaced his glasses and picked up his phone. He dialed Max's number. The phone rang in his ears.

* * *

  
  
Max sighed as her cell began to ring. It's probably Logan, she thought. He's always calling me at the most inconvenient time. She coughed as Eric squeezed her middle. "Hey! Loosen up!" she yelled. "Oh! My apologies!" Eric yelled. "I've never ridden on one of these...uh contraptions before. I must admit, I am a bit frightened." "Contraption? Just how old are you?" "Twenty seven." "NO!" "Yes!"  
Max smiled as she thought about his age. He wasn't too much older than her. Only two years, but completely different. She was rude and he was like...the perfect gentleman. She leaned her motorcycle and let it gain speed. Eric tightened his hold on her again. Damn. She thought. Manticore sure made this one strong. She almost yelled for him to loosen up again, but decided against it. She was strong enough to handle him. Ten minutes later they were in Terminal City. "Mole!" she called. "Got a new tenant for ya!" "Yeah?" the reptilian man appeared, looking Eric over. He smiled around one of cigars he was constantly smoking. " So what are designed for? Midnight assassin?" he jabbed Eric's chest with the cigar. "Excuse me? Designed?" Eric asked. "Whatever do you mean? I don't believe I was designed." "Course you were." Mole insisted. " All of us were. That's why we're so...unnatural-lookin." "Indeed?" "Indeed." Mole laughed mockingly. "What'd they throw in your cocktail? Gentlemen potion?" he shook his head and walked off. Max frowned at his back, then turned to Eric.  
  
" Come on," she said. " Joshua will hook you up."

Eric followed her into a room where a large man with long brown hair, and canine features greeted them.

" Hey, Little Fella." he said. " Who's this?"

" Joshua, this is Eric. Eric, this is Joshua."

Joshua held out his paw-like hand to Eric, who readily shook it.

" Joshua pleased to meet Eric. Eric pleased to meet Joshua?" he looked bashfully at Eric.

" I'll see you guys later." Max said. " I gotta go and take care of something."

" Later." Joshua said.

Max searched through her recent calls, looking for whoever had called her before. It was Logan. She dialed his number and sighed. H e picked up on the first ring.

" Talk to me." " Me hittin you back. So?"

" So? What?"

" You called me remember?"

" Right. I found the cure."

" Ok."

" I know a man who created one that will permanently destroy the virus. Kill it. Vaporize it. It shall perish. It will be no more. It'll die, it-"

" I think I understand Mr. Synonym. How do we know it will work?"

" It's been tested on a sample of the virus. And it doesn't mutate or anything. The cells just shrink and disappear. So what do you say? "

" I say, how much. Being virus free can't come cheap."

" Fifty-eight big ones."

" You're insane! Where the hell are we gonna get the kind of loot?"

"Alec?"

"Alec? You think Alec has it? Even if he did, it's not he'll give it to me."

" Just ask him. Please?" Logan's voice went soft. " I don't want us to be like this forever."

" Fine." Max hung up. Logan had better be glad she loved him.

* * *

Original Cindy watched as Max entered the room. All eyes on my girl she thought. She got up from where she was sitting and walked over to where Max was now arguing with Normal.

" Listen here, Missy Miss, Jam Pony is a service. And you are the sevicer. You deliver packages. But in order to do that, you must first be here." "Normal, Normal, Normal." Max said.

" Delivering packages is my job, not my life. Deal with it." she walked off, leaving a very angry Normal glaring after her.

" Damn, boo. You think he'll ever fire you for real?"

" Nah." Max winked. " All I gotta do is flash him"

" On the real though, this virus? What's up?"

" Eh-"

" Don't sweat it things'll look up."

" Actually they kind of were...but then-"

" What?"

" Logan found a cure."

" But?"

"But, This gonna cost us fifty eight thousand dollars."

" Damn."

" Yep."

* * *

Eric and Joshua stood in the same exact places Max left them in. They were engaged in a staring contest, trying to see who would move or speak first. Eric narrowed his eyes. Joshua did the same. Eric arched an eyebrow. Joshua growled. The staring continued fiercely.  
"Hey guys!" Alec said, slapping the two on them on the back. " Sup?"  
Joshua and Eric screamed.  
"Oh, my bad." Alec said, laughing. "You guys need to de-tense yourselves."  
"No tense." Joshua said. "Stare-battle."  
"Exactly." Eric responded. He glanced over at Alec. "Um hello. I don't believe I have had the pleasure of making you acquaintance. I am Eric. "He held out his gloved hand. "And you are?"  
"Alec. Why are we being so formal?"  
"I beg your pardon?"  
"That! No one talks like that."  
"Excuse me?"  
"You're TOO PO-LITE."

"Too polite? Whatever do you-" "

Argh!" Alec screamed, and left the room.

Joshua grinned. "Frustration in his cocktail."

Eric shrugged.

* * *

Ames White sat in the office of the man he'd talked to twenty minutes earlier. Agent Blake. The two men exchanged wary glances, and then Blake spoke. "It's time for us to bring in a team. This 452 and her uh...transgenic species are creating panic amongst Seattle citizens that I will no longer allow to exist. They must either be destroyed or placed in a similar facility, stricter than the one they were released from. I like the latter. See that it happens. "Blake spun his chair around, a signal that he no longer wanted to talk with White. Ames left Blake's office, angrier than before. One of his bosses wants 'em dead, the other wants 'em locked up. He didn't care much either way. He sighed as he got into his car and drove home. Sleep now, deal with bullshit tomorrow.

* * *

Logan prepared himself for Max's arrival. She'd called five hours before, saying that she was going a "mission" to get the remaining thirty- thou. Logan had already gotten the other twenty-eight of it from a guy who owed Eyes Only a favor. He sighed, hoping that Max was ok and not worrying too much about him. He was fine. Sure, White had destroyed all his equipment, but he was a friend with a computer guy, and the other stuff was repaired. But Max, Max had him worried. When was the last time she slept well? Relaxed? Had fun? Everything, it seemed had fallen upon her delicate shoulders. Managing Terminal City. Keeping the transgenics hidden from the public eye. Fighting this virus... Thank God that was about to be history. The phone rang, jarring his thoughts.

"Talk to me."

"I got it."

"Thirty thou? All of it?"

"No, an ant farm, of course it's the money."

"Should I ask, how?"

"How about no?"

"Ok."

"Meet in an hour, your place?"

"Sure." Logan hung up the phone and smiled. Good job, Max. He thought. Now we're getting somewhere.   
  
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End file.
